Independent film has had a renaissance in recent years with studios such as A24 offering more opportunities for up-and-coming directors. As a result, a number of great films that might not otherwise have existed made their way to major studios. The big winners have been comedy and horror films. Often, directors make inroads via comedy or horror due to the nature of the films having lower budgets and allowing for more creative license.
Comedies especially have been allowed to flourish, as directors and writers push their boundaries with quirkiness and fun. British comedies have enjoyed the opportunity to tell awkward, realistic tales, whereas American comedies often satirize the unseen realities of life in the United States. From Submarine to Yes, God, Yes, these are some of the best independent comedies movie buffs should watch for a good laugh.
Lady Bird
Lady Bird is a heartwarming and often brutal depiction of a teenager's angst at living in Sacramento. Saoirse Ronan leads a star-studded cast as the titular character, and she plays the coming-of-age role to perfection. Lady Bird's relationships with her parents are so realistic that one cannot help but feel as if they are watching a reality show rather than a feature film.
Greta Gerwig wrote a beautiful screenplay, and her direction is energetic and freeing. There is no doubt as to why this film has so much heart. Lucas Hedges and Timothée Chalamet ably support Ronan. The polarising personalities of the two love interests only adds to the realism and edginess of the film. A truly delightful watch with a suitable amount of laughs thrown in for good measure.
Superbob
Originally intended as a short film, Superbob stars Brett Goldstein and Catherine Tate in a Superman satire based in Peckham. The charm of this comedy, about a below-average man given super powers, comes from the fact that Bob is so innocent, but the most interesting part of this story is how people's perception of Bob doesn't change despite his new gifts. The film takes a mockumentary style approach and follows Bob as a fly on the wall. Goldstein should be heralded for his perfectly uncomfortable performance. Tate nails the brief as his supervisor, making herself immediately unlikeable to viewers. This film is funny, has heart and is occasionally even thought-provoking.
What We Do In The Shadows
One of the best mockumentaries ever made and now an award-winning TV show, What We Do In The Shadows began life as a New Zealand-based film. Taika Waititi and Jermaine Clement got together and pondered the question: What would happen if four vampires lived together? With the characters taking themselves too seriously, the laughs are often on them.
A well-paced and refreshing film that evolved the concept of the mockumentary, What We Do In The Shadows satirises the mockumentary format while simultaneously using it to the film's advantage. Viewers will instantly fall in love with the characters, which are some of the best Waititi has ever created.
(500) Days of Summer
In (500) Days of Summer, Deschanel plays the titular Summer, the girl next door who breaks hearts, and she plays it to perfection. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is the naive Tom, a man who mistakingly believes in true love. Satirising what many would have thought was its whole subject matter, Marc Webb's comedy destroys the misconceptions with which rom-coms leave audiences. Beautifully filmed and even more beautifully told, this film is an indie director's dream. It plays with genre, filming techniques, and style. Surprisingly, viewers will come out sympathising more with Summer than with Tom, perhaps a sad reality of the cynicism that the real world outside of rom-coms has taught moviegoers.
Yes, God, Yes
Yes, God, Yes, is another coming-of-age comedy about a young girl discovering her sexuality at a strict Catholic school. The film brilliantly highlights the hypocrisy of certain aspects within the institution it depicts. Ironically, this hypocrisy comes from many of the students themselves, presenting an outward view of being pure while practicing the complete opposite. Natalia Dyer gives a wonderfully awkward and relatively silent performance. As a character who is torn between her desire and her responsibilities, she is someone to whom viewers can easily relate. With many a laugh to be found, the film is grounded in its clear and firm moral stance without preaching to audiences.
Submarine
Richard Ayoade — he's the awkward one from The IT Crowd — debuts an all-around beautiful film. Using the scenic views of Welsh countryside alongside a talented cast, this movie could be considered perfect, with direction that uses different techniques and angles to the film's advantage throughout. The complete awkwardness of Oliver Tate, wonderfully portrayed by Craig Roberts, is often confusing but constantly amusing. Ayoade, who also wrote the film, offers up an oddball comedy, yet despite this, it is incredibly relatable. Viewers will be regularly confused as to whether they should laugh or cringe, often resulting in both. The perfection is completed by Alex Turner's soundtrack, each song more consuming than the last.
Super
James Gunn is a genius. Now more famed for Guardians of the Galaxy and reviving The Suicide Squad, Gunn began his career as an independent director. Super tells a tragic tale of Frank and his doomed marriage to Sarah, a recovering addict. To cut a long story short, Frank becomes the a costumed hero named Crimson Bolt in an attempt to clean up the streets and win his wife back.
Ironically, Frank has no super abilities and is just a below-average guy. Gunn brilliantly depicts the realities of street violence under the guise of a deluded caped crusader. The brutality of this film cannot be understated, yet it perfectly hits the mark with regards to humour and action. Super will make audiences laugh and cry, but they won't regret watching it.
Sorry To Bother You
Lakeith Stanfield is a truly gifted performer. In Sorry To Bother You, he gives a dominant performance. Stanfield has regularly taken a back seat in such projects as Atlanta and Knives Out, yet here he is allowed to flex his muscles. The film is a cutting comment on race and society, hitting the right notes on all fronts. Despite its comical premise, Sorry To Bother You takes unexpected turns that keeps audiences on their toes, wondering what will happen next. Boots Riley's directorial debut is not one to be missed, and those who see it will find themselves laughing while also contemplating the world we live in.
The Big Sick
A heartwarming story based on Kumail Nainjiani and Emily Gordon's real-life romance, The Big Sick is one of the most heart-filled films of recent times. Depicting the complexities of interracial relationships, the film wades deeper than expected and does so at a perfect pace. It tells the story of a whirlwind romance that is derailed by his religion and family commitments as well as her sudden illness. The most heartwarming part about this comedy is how familial relationships are depicted. This is most effective in how Kumail connects with Emily's parents. The Big Sick allows audiences to realize how complex love can make one's life.
The Peanut Butter Falcon
A truly independent film that was born purely out of Zack Gottsagen's desire to be an actor, The Peanut Butter Falcon is a feat of moviemaking that may never be repeated. Essentially a re-telling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, this touching story focuses on Zack traveling by makeshift boat to meet his wrestling hero. Shia LaBeouf and Dakota Johnson ably support Gottsagen and help hold the film's structure together. But the real star is Gottsagen, who has Down syndrome yet nails every line and is clearly the star of each scene he is in. The refreshing thing about this comedy is how Down syndrome is never the butt of the joke. The tone is always correct and never insulting to anyone. This is an extremely under-appreciated comedy and a must-watch.